The recession ended in June of 2009, but the data I have is annual. Data in
the following charts uses December of 2009 as a proxy for the start of the
recovery. Once again, pie charts are by Salil Mehta.

Job Gaining Industries 2007-2012

Job Losing Industries 2007-2012

Notes

Since December of 2009, there were only 5 industries that lost jobs (and
utilities only barely).

As far as government jobs go, we can certainly afford to lose more.

Information was a solid job loser every period

Gainers vs. Losers Analysis

If one listens to all the ads from for-profit schools as well as retraining
hype from President Obama, one might actually think we need more IT training.
As I have stated repeatedly, one cannot retrain a brick-layer into a programmer.
Besides, there is a vast sea of skilled programmers (already trained) who do
not have a job.

I don't have a breakdown of healthcare and social services jobs, but the distinction
between nurses, social workers and temporary care givers in terms of pay is
without-a-doubt dramatic. I expect the economy added far more lower paying
jobs than it did high-paying registered nursing jobs.

Accommodation and food service jobs certainly tend to be low-paying jobs.
Indeed, many food service jobs are part-time only, with no benefits at all.
I suspect most waste management jobs are low-paying jobs as well.

Compare the job gains in the recovery with job losses since 2007.

Construction, manufacturing, and information tend to be relatively high-pay
jobs. In the period 2007-2012 the economy shed roughly 2.36 million construction
jobs, 1.98 million manufacturing jobs, and 380,000 information jobs (a total
of 4.69 million high-paying jobs). Note that construction and information lost
jobs even in the recovery.

Simply put, the US shed more high-paying jobs in the recession than the economy
gained jobs of any kind (high or low-paying) in the recovery.

Involuntary Part-Time Employment

Part-Time Job Analysis

Its better to have a part-time job than no job. However, it's certainly better
to have a full-time job than a part-time job if one is seeking full-time employment.

Roughly an additional 5 million workers went to involuntary part-time employment
during or shortly after the recession. Only about one million of those jobs
are now full-time, not necessarily in the same field, or at the previous pay
scale.

Unemployment Rate Artificially Low

The official unemployment number is artificially low because it does not include
any of the following:

Involuntary retirement to collect social security

Involuntary part-time-employment

Involuntarily education (e.g. kids remaining in school because there are
no jobs)

My simple definition of unemployment is anyone who wants a jobs, is physically
able to work a job, and does not have a job. By that definition, unemployment
would certainly be North of 10%, and likely North of 11% (not even counting
involuntary part-time employment).